Paradoxurus Hermaphroditus cs600

Esta noite (21 de Novembro), o IKB volta ao O’culto da Ajuda, em Lisboa, no contexto do Creative Sources Fest. Digo volta porque este “Paradoxurus Hermaphroditus”, acabado de sair, foi ali mesmo gravado no ano passado, e grande parte dos músicos que então incluíram este ensemble de formação variável, e que só depende de quem pode comparecer, estará de novo envolvida sob a que se prevê novamente discreta direcção de Ernesto Rodrigues. A receita é simples de enunciar e muito difícil de ter concretização: fazer com que uma formação de grandes dimensões (no caso deste CD são 20 os músicos) consiga não agitar demasiado a superfície do silêncio. É, pois, a partir de quase nada, meros murmúrios, que a música começa por ser construída. Com o tempo, muito lentamente, tudo se vai adensando, mas com a calmaria das ondas do mar a desenrolarem-se na areia de uma praia de Outono antes de virem as marés vivas, imagem que nos é suscitada pelo facto de cada acrescento ser seguido por uma diminuição.
Sentido de medida, contenção energética e, sobretudo, a noção de que cada interveniente é apenas uma pequena parte do todo são as únicas regras desta improvisação colectiva que, se decorre dos princípios do chamado reducionismo – tendência da música livremente improvisada de que Rodrigues é um dos principais representantes mundiais –, tem vínculos muito claros com os legados de Morton Feldman (a não-linearidade das progressões) e de Emmanuel Nunes (a ideia de renovação na continuidade). Quando tantos timbres estão mesclados como aqui, não há lugar para individualismos, mas ainda assim destacam-se algumas particularidades: o modo como a viola de Ernesto Rodrigues e o violino de Maria do Mar se combinam, as muito oportunas contribuições do acordeão de Mariana Carvalho (sendo que o seu instrumento principal é o piano), os minimalistas comentários ao piano de André Hencleeday e uma electrónica, a de Carlos Santos, que se faz sentir precisamente porque não se impõe. As paisagens em construção podem parecer melancólicas e desoladas, mas sem elas não repararíamos nas florescências, nas erupções de cor e luz, que vão acontecendo. Fascinante, como sempre com o projecto IKB… Rui Eduardo Paes (Jazz.pt)

Compared to many of his recent releases (i.e. Lisbon String Trio) and some of the other releases in this review, Paradoxurus Hermaphroditus is a return to form for Rodrigues. Although it is not quite as quiet as the most minimal of his releases, it maintains the subtleties and delicate clicks, clanks, and breaths that Rodrigues started exploring decades ago. This is particularly notable as Paradoxurus Hermaphroditus was recording live at CreativeFest XII in 2018. Unlike other amelodic, nonidiomatic music like this, Paradoxurus is slight music magnified, rather than a wide-ranging sonic engulfment. It is about fine textures and miniscule ripples. It is about small sounds and diminutive tones. Even in such understatement, however, it is still about expansivity and big movement. This is all the more remarkable given the line-up of 20 musicians. (In that, it reminds me the Insub Meta Orchestra with more independently moving parts). This is music that begs to be played loud (if only to be audible) and commands close attention. And, it is one of the most consistently engrossing albums I have heard from Rodrigues lately. Nick Ostrum (The Free Jazz Collective)

One of the most amazing Lisboa's specialties are extended ensembles such as IKB Ensemble that made the first release of Creative Sources in 2012, and until the Covid19 era recorded 9 albums. Unfortunately, the seven early ones are missing in my collection, but I report here on the last two, including "Hippocampus Guttulatus", released just before the Covid19 lockout in February 2020.
The titles of all albums correspond to Latin names of "exotic" and strange animals. Quoting the short description of their first record from the Soundhom web page: "Portugal's IKB Ensemble is an electro-acoustic improvising ensemble with a strong string and wind section, balanced with electric guitar, electronics, and percussion. This is a beautiful example of communal playing allowing textures and unique voices to surface and submerge, where no voice subsumes the other, but work together to create a unique and intriguing tapestry of sound."
The 2019 and 2020 new releases by the extended Lisboa ensemble led by Ernesto Rodrigues and his crowd of talented collaborators, are simply delightful and illustrate perfectly the "Lisbonean" essence of this music. "Paradoxurus Hermaphroditus" (The Asian palm civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus) is a viverrid native to South and Southeast Asia) was recorded live in November 2018 at O'Culto da Ajuda, Lisbon, during the CreativeFest XII. It begins very quietly with peaceful noises, rustles, swishes and whishes, in the fifth minute the strings, accordion and piano enter, creating long repetitive tones. This quiet mood of beautiful free improvised minimal music continues more or less till the 18th minute, when it is augmented by the flute, percussion, harmonica, bass clarinet and alto saxophone. Discrete sounds of electronics are omnipresent but generally there is plenty of "fake music". In the 32nd minute percussion starts to be more exposed and the track get more intensity. A majestic 39 minutes long example contemporary minimalism from Portugal. Maciej Lewenstein

Recording at the 12th CreativeFest at O'Culto da Ajuda, in Lisbon, Portugal, the IKB ensemble is represented by 20 musicians for this performance, merging acoustic and electronic instruments including strings, brass, winds, self-made instruments, and percussion in a concert of intense constraint & patience, seething with detail and replete with consummate skill. Squidco